Friends of Family Farmers

Friends of Family Farmers is a grassroots organization promoting sensible policies, programs, and regulations that protect and expand the ability of Oregon’s family farmers to run a successful land-based enterprise while providing safe and nutritious food for all Oregonians. We work through education, advocacy, and community organizing, to support socially and environmentally responsible family-scale agriculture and to support citizens working to shape healthy rural and urban communities.
We have four main programs designed to achieve this mission. Our Farmer Program brings farmers and ranchers together to discuss and identify the most pressing issues facing socially responsible, family-scale Oregon producers.

As part of that effort, the Oregon Pasture Network aims to support a growing network of socially responsible producers who raise animals on pasture, and to connect farmers, ranchers, eaters, and food business operators to help bolster this important piece of the local foods economy. Together, these activities promote agricultural practices that put a high value on family farms, animal welfare, public health, the environment, and rural economies.

Our Watchdog Program works seamlessly with the Farmer Program to hold state and federal agencies accountable for decisions that negatively impact Oregon’s socially responsible agriculture and our farming communities.

Our Urban Program’s goal is to help the public better understand the issues that socially responsible family farmers and ranchers face, and the connection between food and farms in Oregon. From tabling at farmers’ markets and other public education, to monthly InFARMation events, held in Portland since 2009, and more recently in Bend, McMinnville, Salem, and Eugene, we are giving eaters the tools they need to help shape our local and regional food systems for the better.

Finally, recognizing that nearly 50% of Oregon’s farm land is likely to change hands in the near future, our Next Generation Program nurtures and supports the beginning farmers of Oregon through education and community building events. We also maintain Oregon’s only online agricultural landlink database, Oregon Farm Link, to connect farmers with land, potential partnerships, and resources, including a job database.